A former carny kid casts an insider's eye on the amusement business, Coney Island, and fun places in between

Friends of Ruby’s Bar Launch Petition, Plan Nov 6 Rally

Despite the Monday Morning Massacre of the Boardwalk businesses, Halloween was not Ruby’s last day after all. The bar’s devotees have put out a call via Facebook and email to “all Ruby’s family and friends”: Ruby’s will open, possibly for the last time, on Saturday, November 6th. “We are not going quietly, ” Rubys host said in an email. “Come out and show your support.” The rally/party begins around 12:30 pm and goes on till 6 pm or later.

On Facebook, supporters were urged to bombard Zamperla, the Mayor and local pols, and the Coney Island Development Corporation (CIDC) with e-mails and phone calls. “Ruby’s has been told they have 15 days to get out. If you want to see them stay they need your help please CALL or send letters.” A petition “Renew Ruby’s Lease” is on the Petition Site as well as Facebook. By 1 am on Wednesday morning, the petition had nearly 200 signatures. The goal is 10,000, but time is short. The petition begins…

Dear Mayor Bloomberg and Mr. Ferrari,

It has been brought to my attention that a historic piece of Coney Island is being kicked out. How does a business that has been there since 1934 get kicked out?

While one of our Facebook friends said she “unliked” the CIDC’s very popular “Coney Island” page in protest, others went there to post links to the petition or voice their displeasure. “I’m posting to protest the eviction of Ruby’s from Coney Island, a 76-year-old family business that is being cruelly ousted,” one poster wrote. “If this plan goes forward, I hereby pledge not to patronize any of the newly-developed businesses and will tell my family, friends, and colleagues to do the same.” UPDATE: This afternoon, the CIDC asserted control over their “Coney Island” page by removing some, but not all, of the links posted by irate fans and removing the link button. “I guess you want to silence us hmm..,” a poster wrote.

Nine small businesses on the Boardwalk are getting the boot from City-owned land in Coney Island with nary a peep nor a press release from the CIDC/NYCEDC. It seems to us that all of a sudden the City is a very silent partner in its much touted and (until now) highly regarded public-private partnership with the amusement operator. Instead of holding the usual joint press conference, the City is distancing itself from the bad news and letting Zamperla play the role of the bad guy.

According to the NYCEDC’s Coney Island Amusement Operator RFP, which was won by Zamperla in February: “Responses to this RFP should articulate whether they include or exclude these [Boardwalk] structures or footprints, beginning at the earliest in Year 2 of operations.” But it also says “The Selected Respondent may propose to include subtenants for portions of their proposed operations, but such subtenants, and such subtenant agreements, shall be subject to NYCEDC approval.”

In other words, the City, which owns the property, has final say which businesses come or go.